Chain propeller.



No. 629,570. Patented July 25, I899.

L. KUHN.

CHAIN PROPELLER.

(Application filed Aug. 4, 1898.;

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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2 sheets Sheet 2.

L KOHN CHAIN PBUPELLER.

(Application filed Aug 4, 1898.)

(No Model.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS KOHN, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

CHAIN PROPELLER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 629,570, dated July 25, 1899. Application filed August 4, 1898. Serial No. 687,732. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS KOHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented a new and useful Endless Propeller,of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to the class of chain propellers, and has for its object to provide an apparatus consisting ofendless carriers provided at intervals with blades, said car riers being of single-piece construction and preferably consisting of jointless cables and blades so connected with the carriers as to avoid the necessity of joints requiring lubri cation; and a further object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of this class which may be utilized as a conveyer and for analogous purposes.

Furtherobjects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of propellers constructedin accordance with my invention, carried by common shafts in such a relation as they may occupy in connection with a craft. Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of one of the propellers. Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective of one of the rotary carriersupports or wheels. Fig. 4: is a detail view in perspective of a blade detached. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of one of the blades, showing the manner of securing the same to the cables or carriers. Fig. 6 is a detail transverse section of one of the blades and the contiguous portion of the carrier-support, taken radiallywith relation to the carrier-support, as indicated by dotted lines 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail section taken through the same parts of the structure at an angle to the plane of Fig. 6 as indicated by the line 7 7 of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin all the figures of the drawings.

Mounted upon a suitable supporting-frame 1 I have shown spindles or shafts 2 and 3, which may be mounted in similar relation upon a boat or other vessel designed to be propelled by the apparatus embodying my invention. Said shafts are provided with alined carrier supports or wheels 4, having their pe= ripheries grooved to form seats 5 for the endless or jointless carriers 6, consisting in the their extremities to form an approximate dia- I Inond shape, with the difference that the up per and lower edges of each head are respectively arc-shaped, the are forming thev upper edge intersecting the are forming the. lower edge at the terminals of the head. Each car'- rier-support is also provided with a plurality of blade-head seats 9, of which the floors are concaved outwardly to correspond with the curvature of the inner and outer edges of the blade-heads 8; also, each blade-head seat is provided at its inner and outer sides with guide-ears 10, which are spaced apart at their contiguous ends to form a laterally-open interval, of which the floor is flush with that of the blade-head seat. In these laterally-open intervals (indicated at 11) the inner edges of the blades proper are adapted to rest when the blade-heads are seated, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2.

Each blade-head i'sproyided with longitu-' dinal carrier-seats 12, which extend inwardly from the terminal angles of the head and are offset or run out at the exterior faces of said heads at points between said terminal angles, and in longitudinal alinement therewith. Through these separate carrier-seats the cable formingthe endless carrier extends, whereby, in connection with each head, the carrier is offset at an intermediate portion, as. shown at 13, and lies in contact with the exterior surface of the head, where it is fastened by means of a terminally-hooked pin or bolt 14:, which straddles the exposed portion of the cable. This pin or bolt may be threaded into the head or may be seen red in any other suitable manner, the, objectthereof being to .hold the offset portion of the cable in frictional contact with the exterior surface of the head, and thereby, in connection with the angles formed at the offset portions of the cable,

prevent the longitudinal displacement of the blades with relation to the cables.

The peculiar construction of the bladeheads with opposite inner and outer areshaped edges and the corresponding construe tion of the blade-head seats provide for the seating of the blades upon the carrier-snpports without straining the cable, and hence I am enabled to construct the propeller embodying my invention with jointless carriers, consisting of wire ropes or cables; but in order that the transverse centering of the blade-heads may be accomplished with accuracy I preferably taper or reduce the inner, and outer edges of said heads upon opposite sides of the plane of the blade and correspondingly bevel the inner surfaces of the guideears 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, whereby the terminal portions of the blade-head seats are tapered inwardly or toward the center of the carrier-supports.

' It will be understood that in addition to the advantages derived from the use of endless, and at the same time jointless, cables and the accuracy with which the blades may be seated upon the supports by reason of the convexlyrounded inner and outer edges of the bladeheads the construction is such as to. adaptthe apparatus for various uses analogous to. that of a propeller. For instance, the device may be used as a conveyer, wherein power is communicated from the carrier-supports to carriers to advance grain and other materials through a guide or chute, or the construction described maybe utilized in connection with a water motor, wherein the application of fluid-pressu re to the blades advances the carriers, and thus communicates motion to the supports.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention. For instance, it will be understood that I do not desire to be limited as to the number of seats formed in the carrier supports or wheels or to the number of carrier supports or wheels and the cables traversing the same, as in both instances variations 1 the combination of rotary carrier-supports;55,.

having peripheral carrier-seats intersected by spaced blade-head seats having their floors concaved outwardly, endless cables traversing said supports and-fitting in said carrierseats, and blades having terminal heads with which the carriers are engaged, said heads being reduced toward their extremities and having convexed edges to fit the concaved floors of said blade-head seats, substantially as specified. I

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of rotary carrier-supports having peripheral carrier seats intersected by blade-head seats having outwardlycbncaved floors and lateral guide-ears, and blades having terminal heads elongated parallel with the carriers and attached thereto, said b'eads having convexlyerounded inner and outer edges and adapted to fitthe concaved floors of the blade-head seats between the planes-of said guide-ears, substantially as specified.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of rotary carrier-supports having peripheral carrier-seats intersected by blade-head seats having outwardly-concaved floors and lateral guide-ears having beveled inner sides, andblades having termi- "nal heads elongated parallelwith thecarriers and attached thereto, said heads havingcom vexly-ronnded inner and outer edges and adapted to fit the con-caved floors of the bladehead seats between the planes of said guideears, said inner and outer edges of the bladeheads being laterally beveled or reduced to fit the beveled inner surfaces of said guideears, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

- LOUIS KOHN; \Vitnesses:

HAMILTON J COLEMAN, I. WA L. 

